The present disclosure relates generally to traffic awareness systems and methods. More particularly, the present application relates to traffic awareness systems and methods that provide an indication of a detected aircraft to an electronic display, such as a head up display (HUD) or head down display (HDD).
Aircraft pilots rely on situational awareness to avoid collisions with hazards, such as terrain, man-made structures, weather, and other aircraft. To facilitate a pilot's awareness of potential hazards, aircraft typically are equipped with communications equipment to receive information regarding the location of potential hazards from external sources. For example, many countries have implemented air traffic control services to direct aircraft within controlled airspace and while on the ground. Air traffic control services may use ground-based radar, satellite systems, and other forms of location-determining electronics to determine the locations of aircraft within the area. An air traffic control service may use this information to perform various functions, such as approving flight plans and coordinating runway and air traffic. An air traffic control service may also provide information to an aircraft regarding other aircraft in the area, to enhance the pilot's awareness of nearby aircraft. For example, an air traffic controller may radio the approximate altitude, range, and bearing of nearby traffic to the pilot of the aircraft.
In addition to ground-based services, many modern aircraft are equipped with their own hazard detection systems. For example, an aircraft may be equipped with a radar system that makes horizontal and/or vertical radar sweeps from the aircraft to detect potential hazards. Radar returns are then analyzed by onboard processing electronics and returned to an electronic display in the aircraft's cockpit, to alert the pilot to nearby hazards. One such hazard detection system is known as a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS). Generally, a TCAS is implemented by equipping an aircraft with a transponder that requests location information from other aircraft in the area and reports the aircraft's own information to the other aircraft. Passive TCAS are also available that do not actively request information from other aircraft. A TCAS may use the received information to predict whether a midair collision is likely and provide an alert if a potential collision is detected. For example, a TCAS may generate an alert if a nearby aircraft is within a certain range of the aircraft.
Despite the current advances in facilitating a pilot's awareness regarding nearby aircraft, there are still many situations in which a pilot is only made aware of his or her surroundings by looking out the window. However, a pilot's attention may not always be affixed on the windows of the aircraft. For example, a pilot may devote his or her attention to flight planning or problem solving, while the aircraft is in cruise. Applicants have discovered that there may be a need for traffic awareness systems and methods that provide an indication of nearby aircraft to an electronic display, such as a head up display or head down display (e.g., synthetic vision), to facilitate a pilot's situational awareness regarding other aircraft.